Unasked and Unanswered
by cuteypuffgirl
Summary: After the sudden return of Fang, Max has a few unasked questions for him. Replaces a scene in the horror known as Nevermore. -FAXNESS- Oneshot. Please R&R!


**A/N: Sup, MR fans! (Avians? Hybrids? Birds? The Flock? What do we call ourselves?)**

**So I started reading MR a few days ago, and promptly fell in frickin' LOVE with the series and I devoured all the books. However, after StWaOES, the books went downhill for me. I didn't mind TFW or MAX but FANG and ANGEL murdered the series, and Nevermore just plain out killed it IMHO.**

**One of my biggest disappointments in NM was that when Fang returned, Max was like, "Yay, let's throw a party and not ask questions about the guy who mysteriously reappeared after abandoning us for who-knows-how-long!" So this scene replaces the 'Welcome Cake' scene and is followed by the 'Fang and Dylan' scene. My first try at an MR fanfic. Alright, so read, review, and FAX ON! :) **

**UPDATE [as of 27 February 2013]: This story has been fully EDITED, with all spelling and grammatical errors being fixed. No major plot/story details have been changed. Apologies for any overlooked mistakes. Happy reading.**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER:**_** If I had owned MR, the books would've ended after the third, and FAX would've been on every friggin' page. But alas, this is JP's, and as are the quotes from NM.**_

* * *

_Fang detached himself from Nudge and looked up. Our eyes met, and just like that, my legs hurtled me forward and suddenly I was hugging him tightly. Fang's uninjured arm went around my shoulders._

_"You came back," I whispered, hating the longing in my voice._

_"Did you think I wouldn't?" he asked with a half smile that was infuriating and devastating and revealed nothing and everything at the same time._

_A smile I had known all my life._

**_~Nevermore, Chapter 46_**

* * *

"Why are you here?" I asked in a hoarse voice as I finally managed to detach myself from his sweaty, grimy body.

He looked up in surprise. "What do you mean?"

I couldn't hold back an eye-roll, even through my euphoria. "What I _mean_ is you literally freaking _abandoned _us, and now you're back, expecting us to go all _la-di-da_ at your return! And I - _want - to - know - why_!"

My voice rose considerably as I punctuated each word with a poke at his well-toned chest. Knowing Fang, he would've probably taken my finger and snapped it in two, but right now, he looked exhausted. I mean, he freaking_ walked_ here after all.

He cast his dark eyes on me and I felt like melting on the spot.

. . .

Woah, hold it. M_elting on the spot_? What is _wrong_ with me?_ Get a grip, Max._

"Long story," he said. "I'll tell you inside."

That answer did not satisfy me one bit, but I simply crossed my arms and beckoned him forward. But not before enveloping him in another quick hug. "Fine. Don't think you can escape it that easily," I whispered into his shoulder.

I heard Fang laugh softly and my world brightened.

* * *

When we managed to go inside (me attempting not to focus on Dylan's ever-present glares of doom. Read: _attempting_) Iggy came up with the absolutely brilliant idea of baking a Welcome Back cake for Fang because, after all:_ food eliminates all awkwardness._

But I ain't lettin' my prize slip away that easily.

"Sounds great, Ig. Why don't you get started?" I told him without skipping a beat as he opened his mouth to talk. Then I turned to Fang who seemed greatly interested in his blood-caked fingernails.

"You. Me. My room. _Now_." I jabbed a finger in the general direction. I heard a sigh and turned to find Dylan standing there, shaking his head before turning away.

'Cause that's what I ordered folks, a crappy love-triangle to spice things up. My life keeps getting_ better and better_, doesn't it?

As Fang trudged behind me to my room, I couldn't stop but remember one of those times Fang visited me in my room in Virginia and comforted me about my thoughts about the Eraser-Me and kissed me on the forehead and -

_- Stay focused Max,_ the Voice intoned in it's greatly ominous tone. _Don't let your thoughts stray that easily_.

_Yeah, yeah, whatever,_ I thought back as I plopped down on the bed to look up at Fang, who had his hands in his pockets.

"Spill."

Fang sighed, a deep breath that made me shiver, and began talking. "I came here because my Voice told me to."

_Yeah, right, he came here 'cause his Voi-_

Wait a minute, his _what?_

"Your . . . Voice?" I asked in disbelief. I'd known that the Flock may have heard their's once or twice but since when did Fang have one? I mean it's not like you can shoplift them from Walmart or something.

He nodded grimly. "Yeah, after the gang split and the battle, I heard a Voice and the Voice told me to come here. To," Fang hesitated before continue, "to find you. To go home to Max because she needed me more than ever. _You_, that is."

My heart and head went in overdrive as I digested that itsy bitsy piece of info.

And then the rest of the sentence registered and my head snapped up. "Wait, your gang split? And what battle?"

He took a deep breath and began telling me everything. He told me from the morning he woke up with Maya (_a twinge of annoyance surged through me, but was replaced by guilt as I thought about Dylan_), to the betrayal of Star and Kate (_stupid little [insert choice of insult here]s_), to the reappearance of Ari (_which we already knew, thank you very much_), and about Maya.

". . . when I reached her, I - I knew it was too late and she . . . she died in my arms." He paused for a while and for the first time in my life, I thought I saw tears in Fang's eyes.

"Oh, God, Fang . . . " I stood up and - without hesitation - wrapped my arms around him. He felt so warm and so . . . familiar. I felt his arms encase me as well.

"It was like watching _you_ die," he murmured into my hair, which admittedly felt awfully nice. "It was like watching my entire world fall apart, right there and then."

I felt a lump in my throat, feeling guiltier and guiltier by the moment. I thought back to Dylan, thinking about what happened in the tree-house mere hours ago, when rather abruptly my mind flashed back to the kisses I had shared with Fang and how much I . . ._ loved_ . . . him.

Oh, crap, this is _really_ not my domain.

I pulled myself away from him."That's it, huh?"

He nodded and his eyes connected with mine and suddenly I felt myself blushing, hard. Fang cocked his head to the side and I saw a crooked smile spreading across his face.

"What?" I asked, part irritated and part pleased because Fang's smiles can both light up the world, and give me a heart attack. Either or.

"You seem . . . different," he said, "Almost . . . lighter. Happier or something."

_Or something._

"Was that a compliment?" I snorted dismissively. Was he implying I looked pretty? Beautiful? "A person changes in several months, Fang."

And just like that, my annoyance and anger at him for abandoning us - me included - came flooding back and I shoved him. Hard.

_Big mistake._

No matter how injured, Fang recoiled immediately - by natural instinct, no doubt - and I found myself against the wall, the wind knocked out of me as his hands tightened around my wrists.

Usually at this point I would've been attacking back but my freaking emotions (_gah_) made me shout, my voice rising high.

"Fang, you little son of a - "

"Max, you know I had no choice," he cut off swiftly. "It was for your safety."

I couldn't hold back a sardonic laugh. "Oh, for my safety? You freaking _abandoned_ us, Fang! First we lost Angel and then I thought," my voice began to break as I realized hot tears were welling up in my eyes, "then I thought we lost _you_! Do you know how_ difficult_ it was for me? Did you give a damn about us? Did you know how many times I freaking _prayed_ that you'd come back? _You left us_, Fang, I'll never forgive you for that._ Ever._"

He looked at me for a long time and I felt my tears spill, hot against my cheeks. Oh, God, I've been crying more than usual.

Then without a word, he brushed a piece of hair from my face and I felt him cup my cheek, stroking it gently.

"I _did_ give a damn," Fang whispered, in a soft voice most un-Fang-like. "I gave more than a damn. When I left, I wanted to come back, everyday. The reason I came back was for _you,_ Max. No one else. Not to save the world. Not to heal my injuries. But for _you_. _You're_ my world, Max. You should know that."

And as I was assaulted with images of Dylan and me which dissipated into Fang and me, he slowly leaned forward and I felt my world wink shut.

His lips was mere millimeters from mine; so close I could feel his minty breath against my cheek, his soft gaze locked to me. I closed my eyes, savoring him and wanting nothing more than to -

"_Ahem, ahem." _

We both nearly jumped out of our skin, and Fang's hand almost immediately dropped from my cheek.

And that was when I turned slightly and bit back a groan.

Standing there with awkward grins as wide as Christmas were Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy.

_I had left the door open, dang it._

No Dylan at least, thank, freaking God.

"Uh . . . Cake's ready," Iggy said as he bit back a bigger grin. Blind as he may be, I'm sure anyone could've sensed the presence of tension here.

"Is everything okay?" Nudge asked as she stuck her head through the door/ "We heard shouting," she said uncertainly.

I moved away from Fang and quickly wiped away any residue of tears on my face.

"It's fine," I said, dabbing my eyes. "I'll be right there."

They nodded and skedaddled outta there like a bunch of cartoon characters (which they were, if I may mention). I turned to Fang, hoping for anything and everything. He just shrugged and walked through the door, towards the ever-wafting smell of freshly baked chocolate cake.

As he left, I felt like screaming in frustration, taking off in the middle of the night to clear my mind off this complicated love crap.

And that's exactly what I did.

_**Fin**_.

* * *

**A/N: That's it! I hoped you liked it, I tried to keep it as in-character as possible. All typos are mine, btw. Was it good? Feedback is appreciated tons and you, yes, you reading this right now, I beg you to REVIEW. Please, it takes a few seconds, tops. So thanks for reading, check out and R&R my other PJO, HP, and HG stories and REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. Fax on! :)**

**Peace, love, and Nutella! (with a sprinkle of Fax and Eggy :3)**

**xx cuteypuffgirl**


End file.
